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Tag Archives | Philosophy

Timbuk2 made the San Francisco Messenger Bag famous, but Rickshaw Bagworks is here to give them a run for their money with bags designed for “people who thrive on the urban experience and celebrate the creative spirit”.

The company was inspired by San Francisco, urban cycling and an intense desire to make great products, and thinks that it’s “cool – if not kind of weird – the way people grow attached to their favorite bag as though it were a pet or loved-one”. They also share a strong set of humanistic, environmental and social values that guide the way they conduct every aspect of their business.

To that end, Rickshaw adorns each bag with the Rickshaw “PCQ Tattoo”, a little graphic patch on an inside tag that represents three things that are near and dear to the Rickshaw family – Passion, Craft and Quality.

The heart represents our PASSION for bags, bikes and our home city of San Francisco.

The silver needle and gold thread represent love for the age-old CRAFT of making bags by hand.

The five stars represent our dedication to the highest standards of QUALITY.

The five stars also honor the constellation of our stakeholders – Customers, Employees, Business Partners, Investors and Community – and our passion to treat each with respect and compassion.

They’ve also created a line of bags called the ZERO Messenger that are designed to follow the ‘less is more’ philosophy, with a combination of minimalist design, monopolymer construction, localized sourcing and wasteless manufacturing – a holistic approach that simultaneously unites form, function and footprint. By specially designing the ZERO bags to optimize fabric cutting, (each is made from a single rectangle of fabric) they can eliminate manufacturing waste and create a great looking product that doesn’t leave a ton of scrap material in its wake.

Plus, by eliminating material waste, manufacturing costs are kept low, and these savings are passed along to the consumer in the form of a price tag that rivals even the sale prices of other bag manufacturers.

If you’re looking for a bag that looks good, doesn’t kill the environment or your wallet, and will survive even the harshest of bike rides through the toughest of cities, then look no further than Rickshaw Bagworks and their unique line of messenger bags and related accessories.

Though I think this guys quest for his 15 minutes would have been easier had he simply drank only Starbucks for 30 days ala Super Size Me’s Morgan Spurlock, he can claim to have an original idea, starting his quest in 1997. Winter’s goal (and yes, that is his real name, and his only name, no middle or last, just Winter): to drink a coffee from every Starbucks on the planet. Despite the fact that Starbucks opens 3-4 new stores every day, he’s confident that it’s a feasible accomplishment. So far, he’s visited 5788 North American stores, and 409 international stores in such places as England, Japan, Paris, Madrid, Mexico, Hong Kong and Taiwan. His record is 29 stores in one day, consuming 104 ounces and three shots of espresso, and also experiencing what must have been one of the worst stomach aches on record. Thankfully, he does plan to profit from this endeavor, making a movie called Starbucking to document the trek, and hopefully recouping some of the $29,561.86 he’s spent so far (he keeps some very detailed logs on his website. In another sign of true dedication, he has worn a Starbucks T-shirt every day since October of 2001, though he won’t reveal the number of Starbucks shirts he owns so one can only hope it’s more than a handful. The ’97 Honda Civic hatchback he bought to roam the country with had 78,000 miles on it when purchased, but now shows almost a quarter of a million logged as he has driven through every state but Hawaii. Radar managed to sit him down for an interview (considering the amount of caffeine this guy consumes, it couldn’t have been for too long), and a few of the more interesting questions are as follows:

Do you get free coffee?

I introduce myself and my project and ask for a sample, which is the minimum that I need to consume, and I almost always get it.

The day you hit 29 stores, what were the side effects?

Well, pretty early on I started developing a headache, I started feeling jittery. Later, because of all the liquid I drank, I started feeling bloated. Just looking at the little cup of coffee made me nauseated.

Ever picked up a hot chick in a Starbucks?

Um, I would say, yes, of course, I’ve had brief conversations with plenty of hot chicks, but they’ve never gone anywhere, due to the fact that I am always passing through. I’m sure that works to my disadvantage. I’ve sensed possibilities but they would have required me to actually stay there and pursue something—and that’s incompatible with my lifestyle. One girl in Dallas who I kept trying to go out with finally did, but it never went anywhere. We went for coffee at some café, but not at Starbucks.

Starbucks must have called to find out what you are up to—what did you say?

I told them I want to visit every Starbucks and do something unique. I told them the truth.

That’s still the main motivation?

It has not changed but it has expanded. Now that I’ve started getting publicity, it’s been in the back of my mind that I could use this publicity to promote my philosophical ideas about how to change the world. If I gain any measure of fame from the film, I intend to promote my philosophy, which I expect will make me popular among some, but very unpopular to most. I expect my life to become more difficult.

Can you tell us more about your philosophy?

Yes, but it would be so vague: like I’d like to see an elimination of global conflict. But there’s no point in even printing that because every other man on the street could say the same thing.

So he might not do it for the chicks, the money or the fame, but whatever powers this guy, I hope he finishes his quest before his heart explodes in a caffeinated double shot finale that would make a tragic if not somewhat appropriate end to his movie.